140 x 64 Family Back Yard Garage

[Amazzen]

I've been retired for a couple of years now, but began building my dream shop about 10 years ago.

I found his site a few months ago and have been enjoying ALL the garages and back yard warriors along with many innovative approaches to garage set ups.

Most of my set up has been in place for years, but there's always room for tweeking and the additional cool tool or machine.

I wanted to share this with you hoping that it might inspire some, help others with their garage goals and share my pride a joy with those that appreciate this stuff.

So far I have no regrets with the design and set up, but like everyone says...there's never enough time or room when it comes to garages, so like all our projects, it will always be a work in progress.

Here's a couple of exterior pics to get us started and I'll continue the entire tour over the next short while.

Hope you enjoy the thread,

Paul

 

[Texas Aggie]

Let me be the first to say - WOW!

 

[wfochris]

I sure hope you're not going to stop with those 2 pictures!

 

[allinon72]

Wow what a teaser thread.

 

[geologist]

Your garage is bigger than my fire department!

 

[Imavol]

Now that is a GARAGE.

 

[PCO6]

I've been waiting for this thread ever since you teased us a few months ago with a picture. Does it have an inside? What do you do in there? I'm from Southern Ontario too. Are you looking to adopt anyone?

 

[bigfredtn]

Checkmate! Very nice garage. Please post more pictures.

 

[930dreamer]

That's a biggin.

 

[ctd]

Too bad you have to live in Ontario!

 

[mypov]

I think it's empty inside...

 

[ejm1961Tbird]

I am blown away! Not only is it huge, but it is a really beautiful place. Let's see some of your cars and projects. Looking forward to seeing more of your awesome garage. Thanks

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

I'm sorry, but that is definitely not a garage; it's an estate enclosed by walls! Let me guess, you also have an attached 'garage' on the house (aka - the mansion). lol

 

[seth928]

I feel like I need one of those life alert buttons to wear around my neck "help I've fallen and I can't getup!" wow huge...yet not commercial looking.....wow....wow.....where is that button?.....Nice lets see more of it!!!

 

[Amazzen]

Okay, Okay, Okay......

Before we go inside I must give you the outside story first:

This is our main residence property. This use to be a working 100 acre farm years before we bought it. It was nearly abandoned and needed a lot of tlc.

We renovated the existing farm house and the small garages while breaking ground on the main shop you see above.

We also added a few more outbuildings to hide all the junk we keep.

Building on left is a single car garage.

Building on right is 30 x 60 storage shop.

One in back is the main shop again.

Farm house 3 car garage.

Above is a 40 x 80 storage shop (houses my future resto projects)

and below is our covered Arena! (64 x 120)

Hey, that's an inside pic!...


Usually have the ice in by this time of the year, but its been such a mild winter so far.


Alright, I'm going to need to post several threads to get all the pics up for you guys, so that's it for this one.... other than to add

I wish to thank all of you for your compliments so far and I couldn't imagine where the end of the line is for the adoption waiting list, sorry.

 

[930dreamer]

Inside ice, how nice.

 

[Amazzen]

Main shop is broken into two main sections with largest area for Mechanical and body work. The other end is a car and memorabilia showroom. In between we have some storage rooms and a bathroom.

8 large work bays; 2 of which have been partitioned as a "dirty room" for body work and any messy work. 3 bays have 3 types of automotive lifts. 2 bays have floor pots for frame straightening or tie down requirements. 1 Bay contains the newest addition....a semi-downdraft paint booth.

Through the center is our primary tool area (under a racking structure)

]

This is strictly a hobby shop for my muscle car restorations, memorabilia restos and fixing the vehicles of family and close friends. We work on about one project a year, but always seem to be busy repairing one thing or another. (we're just completing the restoration of my Dad's old Tow Truck)

End of this post..... I'll get another ready asap...

 

[sr71]

.....holy f*(*) ....that just isn't right ....here I am thinking that a 40x 60 is just about right for foolin around..... and then you post - awesome .... great setup....super envious in Michigan

 

[Nighttrain]

Nice hobby garage. My nephews in detroit would love that rink you have. They have in the past flooded their back yard for hockey. I think they used sand bags around the perameter.

 

[MAT792]

wow... that is the biggest shop I have ever seen! hats off to you!

 

[tinbender 66]

OK. That's it. I've finally found the Mother of all garages.

Cool part about it is that it also looks like a lot of work gets done in there.

Very nice!!

 

[PCO6]

... and below is our covered Arena! (64 x 120)

You said that you recently retired. Was it from the NHL!? I'm a big lacrosse and minor hockey guy and that's a great arena ... I love the tennis lines too.

I really like how you have used pallet racks for your tool (& mezzanine?) area.

 

[Amazzen]

You said that you recently retired. Was it from the NHL!? I'm a big lacrosse and minor hockey guy and that's a great arena ... I love the tennis lines too.

I really like how you have used pallet racks for your tool (& mezzanine?) area.

No, not the NHL although it was always a dream. I still play 5 times a week and its still my first love (recreation wise). My son's a pretty talented player (28 years old now) and since I play goal, I can't begin to tell you how great it is to get on the ice with him (or against him). I also have 2 grown girls and none of them are into my car thing at all. So for now, the wrenching duties belong to me and my 82 year old Dad (who comes here every day). If it wasn't for him, I could never keep up to all the work this place creates.

When my son played minor Hockey and Lacrosse competitively, it took up all my spare time and while I enjoyed it, I'm quite happy that era is over. Its a ton of work, especially if you volunteer to get involved with the Leagues as well! Its a good and bad news story that I built the rink long after his minor sports days.

The rink, when ice is in, is an awesome 3 on 3 rink and wonderful for summer activities as well. The sides have curtains which rise to let fresh all flow through the place while keeping the sun and rain at bay. If it wasn't such a cool gathering spot, I'd probably be storing more junk in there, LOL.

Oh, by the way, I also have a Zamboni to get the right surfacing between play.

Thanks for noticing the racking, it was a planned idea when I designed the building. The floors are equipped with radiant floor heating, so I had to carefully plan to anchor the racking, floor pots and hoists well before the concrete went down. I also ended up video taping the lines with measurements to document the exact location. A good friend recently gave me a great locating tip....call for heat on a zone and after 30 minutes or so, I could shoot the concrete with a laser digital thermometer to isolate the piping locations.... I love it.

Here are the 2 oil burners and infloor systems:

 

[CHRIS P]

Holy ****. Ice rink, showroom, mechanical shop. My brain cant cope with all this awesomeness

 

[Amitygravel]

Amazzen ,
Welcome to the Garage Journal ! Some nice property you have there. Would really like to see some of your projects.
Big place , any visitors ever gotten lost in there ?!

 

[bootlegger]

That is a fantastic set up I am in awe. I worked for 15 years in auto-body and 24 yrs at a high end restoration shop never had that nice of a set up, absolutely amazing.

 

[dangle]

Is this a dream?

So much winning going on in this thread... and it's only page 2!

 

[Zogman]

Nope, no way... never. This does not exist. When my parents moved us away from Montreal when I was 6 years old, they said the only thing good in Canada is Hockey. I don't believe this exists in Canada. A fraud is what we have here folks.

All kidding aside... Great home and well... the extra's too. Now please give us pics of the restored muscle cars so I can further go into denial.

Thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[jordi_deuce]

where in SW ontario if you dont mind me asking? i am also in SW ontario

 

[Toolfool]

I think we need a GJ road trip !!! Amazing place.

 

[tlowery04]

color me green.

so.... does the company you work for know you are taking pictures of their fleet repair department?

seriously though... wow. What do you guys farm up there?

That looks like an amazing shop, and I agree, let's see some more workspace shots and some of your projects! I would also like to see what you have in storage as future projects, I like how clean everything looks (I wish I could convince anyone here to let our place stay organized) but admittedly I'm a glutton for grease and have a penchant for patina.

 

[ejm1961Tbird]

Don't get me wrong -- I have an extremely wonderful and supportive wife -- but she is not thrilled with the 30x60 garage I am planning. I think she is concerned that it may be too big.

Dude! You have opened my eyes to a whole new world; your 30x60 is a storage shop. You have an ice rink - with a Zamboni! How awesome is that! Gotta love the Zamboni!

I think it's great that you get to wrench with your dad. What car are you currently working on together. Thanks for sharing your killer shops. Enjoy!

 

[kippieland]

I could hold a F'ing Supercross race in that shop! Very nice!

 

[venturesomerite]

I want. That is all.

 

[D.J.]

StevenBiars
Your garage is bigger than my fire department!

X2

And his walls aren't collapsed like the ones in my station are!

 

[Amazzen]

Thanks guys. I apologize if I miss someone, but I'll do what I can to respond:

Amazzen ,
Welcome to the Garage Journal ! Some nice property you have there. Would really like to see some of your projects.
Big place , any visitors ever gotten lost in there ?!

Only the ones that were never invited.

Thank you, I promise to post projects and tools soon.

That is a fantastic set up I am in awe. I worked for 15 years in auto-body and 24 yrs at a high end restoration shop never had that nice of a set up, absolutely amazing.

My Dad had a 3,000 sf garage and body shop in the 70's and he says the same thing! Its certainly better, but what makes it great is that its not work and there are no deadlines.

Is this a dream?

So much winning going on in this thread... and it's only page 2!

Yes, a dream come true, Thank you...glad you're enjoying the thread.

Nope, no way... never. This does not exist. When my parents moved us away from Montreal when I was 6 years old, they said the only thing good in Canada is Hockey. I don't believe this exists in Canada. A fraud is what we have here folks.

All kidding aside... Great home and well... the extra's too. Now please give us pics of the restored muscle cars so I can further go into denial.

Thanks for sharing!!!!

Thanks for looking and stay tuned.

where in SW ontario if you dont mind me asking? i am also in SW ontario

About an hour NW of Toronto.

I think we need a GJ road trip !!! Amazing place.

Thank you and when you plan that trip, pack a lunch....I'll supply the refreshments.

color me green.

so.... does the company you work for know you are taking pictures of their fleet repair department?

seriously though... wow. What do you guys farm up there?

That looks like an amazing shop, and I agree, let's see some more workspace shots and some of your projects! I would also like to see what you have in storage as future projects, I like how clean everything looks (I wish I could convince anyone here to let our place stay organized) but admittedly I'm a glutton for grease and have a penchant for patina.

Its a horse farm now....horse power that is!

Looks clean? Well maybe at this moment, but we get **** all over the place after about 15 minutes. And we get pretty dirty too (my wife's biggest beef....she's too awesome!)

I could hold a F'ing Supercross race in that shop! Very nice!

Thank you. You should see the kids next door buzz around the back 40 with their bikes! I can't see them, but I can hear them. They're like mosquitos... I want to hear them so I know we're safe.

I'll try posting some more pics tomorrow and thanks again for the wonderful welcome,

Paul

 

[Amazzen]

Before I go.... one more pic

My first resto-mod.





That's the way I feel too...

 

[mypov]

Yeah, I was happier, and a little less envious, pretending it was empty
Seriously awesome! Useable, filled with stuff, nicely organized, and you can tell things get done! the way a shop should be IMO.
Something to look forward to - can't wait to have my own shop. I am allowed to use my workplace during office house, but there's nothing like your own shop.
Nice place you got there.

 

[wawa1]

wow is all i can say.

 

[dieselmike]

gray tools box,eh.. nice, seems like you have a lot of money, i hate you.

lets see some of the **** you collect!